Rock Climbing Grading System

Rock Climbing Grading Systems Have You Confused?

Don’t worry we are here to help you understand the rock climbing grading system.

First things first. Remember that we climb because we like to rock climb not beacuse we can climb a certain grade.

Now don’t get us wrong we love to push ourselves to reach new grades and to break past our climbing barriers/plateaus.

But and this is a big but, we first and foremost believe that you should climb for yourself. Don’t worry so much about the grades you can climb.

Just focus on having fun, learning new things, enjoying nature, pushing your limits, and creating experiences with your friends.

Ok now that that is off our chest… back to the rock climbing rating systems.

You see in rock climbing climbers give a climbing grade to a route that attempts to assess how difficult and dangerous that route is.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the difficulty of a climb.

Technical difficulty of the moves

Strength and stamina required

How difficult is it to protect the climber

Rock Climbing Rating Systems

USA

UK Tech

UK Adj

French

UIAA

Australian

5.5

VD

5.6

4a

S

5.7

4b

HS

5.8

4b

VS

5a

6-

16

5.9

5a

HVS

5b

6

17

5.10a

E1

5c

6+

18

5.10b

5b

6a

19

5.10c

E2

7-

20

5.10d

5c

6b

7

21

5.11a

E3

7+

22

5.11b

6c

23

5.11c

6a

E4

8-

24

5.11d

7a

8

25

5.12a

E5

8+

26

5.12b

6b

7b

8

25

5.12c

E6

9-

27

5.12d

6c

7c

9

28

5.13a

E7

9+

29

5.13b

8a

5.13c

7a

10-

30

5.13d

E8

8b

10

31

5.14a

10+

32

5.14b

7b

8c

5.14c

E9

11-

33

5.14d

7c

9a

11

5.15

For bouldering the most common is John Sherman’s V-grading system and the Fontainebleau scale. I have also compared them to the U.S. decimal scale because some indoor climbing gyms use this scale for their bouldering as well as their rope climbing.

Bouldering Grading System

V-Grade

Fontainebleau

USA

V0

3

5.10a

V1

4-/4+

5.10c

V2

5-/5/5+

5.11a

V3

6a/6b

5.11b

V4

6c/6c+

5.11c/d

V5

7a

5.12a

V6

7a+

5.12c

V7

7b

5.12d/13a

V8

7b+

5.13b

V9

7c

5.13c

V10

7c+

5.14a

V11

8a

5.14b

V12

8a+

5.14c

V13

8b

5.14d

V14

8b+

5.15

V15

8c

5.15a

V16

It should be noted that all grading systems are not exact and are open to interpretation. Always use caution and when climbing in a new area. It is best to start with a few routes below your usual climbing ability. This will allow you to get a feel for that area so that you can judge what routes to climb.